we're on each other's team
by Mistrazen
Summary: A chronicle of Ken's observation of Minako, and their friendship.


"we're on each other's team. **"**

 **i.**

It was at Naganaki Shrine, when he first saw her.

She was older than him no doubt, probably a high school student as he sized her up. It was a Sunday, so she didn't wear a school uniform. Yet, she looked like a teenager almost nearing her adulthood, yet young enough to be in high school.

Mature … and not childish.

He watched her from behind, not daring to come near her- being his mistrustfulness of adults in the first place. Yet, he felt drawn to her in a weird way not that he could really explain himself though. The older girl had … an odd effect on him, and he didn't know _why._

She was offering money and prayed almost _intensely_ for a moment- soon getting up leaving the shrine. She didn't even look back or didn't seem to notice _him_. Which was a good thing for him, as it was really just awkward watching a girl, _really_ _ **!**_

Yet, he wondered _who she was._

 **ii.**

He saw her again at Naganaki Shrine.

This time though she wasn't praying nor offering money. She was at the playground area standing around near the jungle gym. The older girl was talking to a girl much younger than him. He saw this younger girl often around the shrine alone sticking to herself or talking to a sickly man who often sat on the bench on _Sundays._

From what he saw from afar, he saw that the older girl was _playing_ with the younger girl. He was perplexed as to _why, she was playing with a kid_ and more confused as to why the little girl _trusted her so much._ He didn't understand and still didn't as the older girl _went out her way to comfort_ the little girl, like an _older sister_ and a _friend._

For some reason, he felt _envious._

 **iii.**

This time he unofficially introduces himself to her.

 _Or something like that._ It mostly started when he met an older boy, a teenager at that who's a second year high school student. His name was Iori Junpei-san. Junpei-san wasn't quite mature and was still kind of _childish_. Yet, he liked him and Junpei also took a liking to him, a reason unknown to him, _hidden behind chuckles._

Junpei-san never told him why he befriended him or decided to like him, and whenever he pestered him about it, Junpei chuckled and gave a pat to his back.

Then another older girl came and her name was Takeba Yukari-san. Yukari-san is a classmate and friend of Junpei, as he was told. Soon the two of them began giving him advice which he found a bit irksome, but never complained.

In just a few weeks, he met their friend or rather the older girl he had been inconspicuously watching from behind. She came to Naganaki Shrine on her own accord carrying a bouquet of flowers, but then got sidetracked by Yukari-san who saw her and dragged her to meet him.

When he saw who Yukari-san was dragging to meet him, he felt embarrassed and ashamed because it was Junpei-san and Yukari-san's _friend!_ He was plain rude for watching her so, but … she didn't recognize him and cheerfully introduced herself as Arisato Minako.

He himself introduced himself as Amada Ken.

This is how they unofficially met.

 **iv.**

To him, Arisato-san was _an enigma._

She treated him _kindly,_ and then other times _teased him_. _**Once**_ , she forcefully dragged him out of the dormitory just to eat dinner with him. Although t _he dragging him out happens most of the time,_ and it took him a while to tell her stop.

He found that Arisato-san had many, many various of masks. Or different faces of all sorts. The usual was her cheerful, happy, go-lucky one. This is the mask she wore most of the time, even when things seem to go down upon them. Yet, when he observed her- her masks were always ever changing around different people. Yet, he never saw her become mad at anyone, nor yell at anyone.

Yet, he realized… he didn't want her to get mad at him anyway, when she already gets _sad._

 **v.**

He never thought that he would see Arisato-san become so _angry._

When Ryoji-san revealed who he was and told them that Arisato-san had to kill him-, she walked up towards him… and _slapped him_ full across the face. Ryoji-san himself didn't seem so surprised, but.. everyone including himself were stunned silent.

Her voice rose a level higher asking him, " _Is that all our friendship accumulated to?!_ " Just as their shock began to fade, Arisato-san looked like she was going to throw another hit- only with Junpei-san stopping her. "You're my friend- and you tell me… I have to kill you with _my own hands?_ "

He was probably the only who noticed that Ryoji-san's eyes began to become downcast, and the atmosphere became cold.

 **vi.**

He didn't realize it with all _his observing._

All the pent up stress, anger and sadness that welled up in Arisato-san. It was because all of them were in their little world, at lost that the world was going to end. Her smiles seemed more forced, just for their sake. Yet no one including him noticed those faked smiles. They just saw the smiles, and thought, " _She's doing okay._ "

Oh how wrong they were, when Junpei-san got riled up of how everyone was acting to the situation. In that same momentum, he blamed it all on Arisato-san. She _cried in response-_ \- making everyone, including him how much they were pushing her to the edge. How much burdens they put on her, acting she was strong enough to hold the world up on her shoulders.

In which he blurt out, " _We're on each other's team, Arisato-san!_ " He didn't want to see her cry, because he would probably cry himself. His voice got choked up anyway. "So, it means you don't need to keep all the burdens on your own, _because, because, we got each other,_ Arisato-san _!_ "

She laughed weakly in response, grabbing him under her arm giving him a nudge on his head. "That's a lot of because, Amada."

"I mean _it!_ "

She ended up hugging him tightly, whispering _thanks,_ and everyone apologized. Junpei apologized much more with abundant guilt, Arisato-san punched his gut lightly, "Apology accepted, you nerdlinger."


End file.
